Tag: breast cancer

October 3, 2025
Media Contact: Dr Zelalem Attlee, Zelalem.Attlee@vdh.virginia.gov.

Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Health Department offers free mammograms to women who qualify
Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Early Detection Saves Lives

WARRENTON, Va.– Breast cancer is the number one cancer diagnosed in Virginia. In Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District, breast cancer incidence rate is 124.4/100,000 population almost equal to the state’s average of 126.9/100,000. The good news is that early detection saves lives. The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) offers free breast cancer screenings to uninsured, low-income women through the Every Woman’s Life (EWL) program.

“Early detection saves lives. I urge every woman—and the families who love them—to make breast cancer screening a priority,” said Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Director James B. Carr, M.D. “These conversations should be normal in every household, passed from one generation to the next, so that daughters, mothers, and grandmothers all know the importance of getting screened.”

Since EWL started in 1997, it has helped nearly 77,000 women. Providers diagnosed more than 2,500 breast cancers and more than 1,300 cervical cancers and pre-cancers. You can find the EWL screening program near you to find out if you are eligible and enroll.

If a woman enrolled in EWL is diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer, she may be eligible for Medicaid to pay for treatment.

Women should have a mammogram at least every other year beginning at age 40. Individuals at higher risk should generally start having mammograms at age 30. You might be at higher risk if you have a strong family history of breast cancer or inherited changes in your BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

One thing you can do at home is a self-exams. These exams should be done monthly beginning at age 20. This self-exam will help you notice any lumps or changes in your breasts. You should tell your doctor or healthcare provider right away about any changes.

If you have questions about the EWL program, visit the VDH EWL webpage or contact the Rappahannock-Rapidan Health District Health Department at www.rrhd.org.

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October 21, 2024
Media Contact: Bryan Hooten, RHHDpr@vdh.virginia.gov, 804-807-1727

Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Encourage Women to Focus on Breast Health
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

RICHMOND, Va. – In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Richmond and Henrico Health Districts (RHHD) encourage women 25 years of age and older to talk with their health care provider about their risk for developing breast cancer and women 40 and older get regular breast screenings.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, a month devoted to educating people about breast cancer — including metastatic breast cancer (MBC) — and the importance of early detection and access to timely, high-quality care.

“Breast cancer screening helps find breast cancer early, when it is easier to treat,” said Richmond and Henrico Health Districts Director Elaine Perry, M.D. “We encourage people to talk to their health care provider about which breast cancer screening tests are right for them.”

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends breast cancer screening start at age 40 and continue every two years until age 74 to better serve younger women. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, data from 2015 to 2019 in the U.S. show a 2% increase in breast cancer diagnoses per year among women in their 40s. In 2023, an estimated 43,170 women died of breast cancer. Non-Hispanic White women have the highest incidence of breast cancer and non-Hispanic Black women have the highest mortality rate from breast cancer.

According to the National Cancer Institute’s State Cancer Profile, the rate of new cases of breast cancer in Virginia rose slightly between 2017 and 2021. The rate in Richmond was similar to the rate in Virginia. The rate in Henrico was somewhat higher than the rate in Virginia.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration offers this tool, which allows people to search for mammography providers by zip code. People can visit rhhd.gov/connect-pc to locate primary care providers in the Richmond and Henrico area.

The Virginia Department of Health (VDH) offers Every Woman’s Life (EWL), a public health program that helps uninsured, income-eligible women gain access to free breast and cervical cancer screening services. Screening and early detection reduce death rates, improve treatment options, and greatly increase rates of survival.

To be eligible for EWL, a woman must be a Virginia resident between the ages of 18-64, meet federal income guidelines and be uninsured. Women 18-39 must be symptomatic or be determined to be high risk for breast and/or cervical cancer to be eligible.

The EWL program provides a clinical breast exam, mammogram, pelvic exam, Pap test, and any diagnostic test required to reach a final diagnosis. If a woman enrolled in EWL is diagnosed with breast or cervical cancer she may be eligible for Medicaid to pay for treatment. People can use this link to find a EWL provider near them.

The Virginia Breast Cancer Foundation supports a Screening and Diagnostic Services Fund. This fund covers diagnostic mammograms, ultrasounds, biopsies, and MRIs for income-eligible, uninsured, and underinsured Virginians.

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